The present invention is directed to an optical device, a method of manufacturing the optical device and an intermediate part which is utilized in the method of manufacturing the optical device. Briefly, the method is directed to assembling a plurality of two or more intermediate parts which have lateral planar surfaces with at least one of the planar surfaces having a guide groove which receives an optical waveguide such as an optical fiber. After asembling the parts with the fibers in the grooves, a body is produced which can be utilized in subsequent steps to form optical devices such as branching elements.
A method for forming a branching device by providing two parts, one of which has a guide groove for receiving an optical fiber, joining the two parts together to form an intermediate body, providing a third part having a groove for receiving a fiber and assembling the intermediate body on the third part is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,290 which claims priority from German patent application No. 29 20 957. As disclosed in this patent, the method forms a composite body which exhibits a plurality of parallel extending light waveguide branch elements and the individual light waveguide branch elements can be manufactured by cutting them from the composite body. A significant problem in the manufacture of such a composite body or of the finished branch elements is the amount of time which is required for adjusting the various parts that are assembled together to form the composite body. In addition, after the branch element has been formed, plugs must be assembled thereon and the assembly of the plugs relative to the individual light waveguides is a time-consuming operation.